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* Note: I recommend that you use store bought buttermilk for this recipe.
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This is from experience.
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Homemade buttermilk (1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar), does not react the same as store bought buttermilk.
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The chicken doesnt plump up as nicely.
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Not sure why, but thats been my experience.
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Anyway, on to the recipe!
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Wash and dry your chicken legs (or pieces).
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Put the chicken in a plastic gallon zip bag.
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Pour in the buttermilk, salt, pepper and cayenne.
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Seal bag well and shake all around for at least 30 seconds.
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You look less silly doing this if you have music playing.
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Put bag in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
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I have left the chicken overnight and made it the next evening and it was just fine.
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You can also put the chicken in the brine in the morning, and this can be a weeknight evening meal if you want.
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Shift the chicken around in the bag a couple times during its marinating time.
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When you decide your chicken has marinated enough, drain the chicken.
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More shaky time!
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Get another plastic gallon zip bag, and add flour, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and garlic powder.
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Seal bag and mix well (shaky shaky!).
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Open bag with the chicken and brine and shake the excess buttermilk off 3 or 4 chicken pieces, and put them in the bag of dredging mixture.
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Seal bag again and do your shaky dance.
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Remove coated chicken and place on a cooking rack over a sheet tray.
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Repeat the dredging process until all the chicken is well coated.
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Now find something else to do for an hour.
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Leave the chicken alone!
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This will help the crust develop and become crunchy and wonderful.
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After an hour, heat your vegetable oil, either in a fryer or in a large heavy pot on the stove top, to 375 degrees F. Make sure the oil is deep enough to fully immerse the chicken.
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Turn your oven on to 350 F at the same time.
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Working with 4 pieces of chicken at a time, put your chicken carefully in the oil.
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Let it fry for 5 minutes or until golden brown and lovely.
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Remove the chicken from the oil using tongs.
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Place the fried chicken on a (clean!)
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cooking rack with a parchment paper lined sheet tray underneath it.
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Repeat until all the chicken is fried.
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Now it may look tempting, but its not done yet!
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Place the tray in the oven and allow to cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. This will cook the chicken through and make it so juicy.
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Remove chicken from the oven and give it a light sprinkling of salt.
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I serve mine with dill potato salad.
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Also, I cant begin to tell you how good this is cold.
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And with picnic season coming up you should be all set.
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Enjoy!
